Homepod vs Echo vs Google Home

I want to buy one of these for myself!
I want it to help control the smart devices in our house, play music, and provide entertainment.
What do you think are the most important features to consider when buying either an Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo, or Google Home?
At this time, I really haven’t decided what I want, so I am collecting all the information I can so. I’m well informed when I do make a purchase

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Quick Story
I do have to make a confession to make I am pretty loyal to Apple products. However, recently purchased an unusual gift for someone special. My dad is 81 years old and lives alone. He LOVES looking up facts, keeping up with sports, etc. I bought him an Echo Alexa for his birthday this year. He is having a blast! He can listen to his favorite radio station, get reminders ( he really needs this) and ask any question that comes to mind while watching TV. I may have to buy him a smart device to go with it next.

I need to decide what is going to best work for my husband and myself and what is going to be the most efficient for our home. After reading multiple reviews it appears that there are four main features to consider before making a decision.

It Can Be Quite Confusing,  So Let’s  Examine:    

• Smartness
• Compatibility
• Music/Sound
• Price & Options

Smartness

•  Google Home has the largest knowledge base of facts – and it should! With the might of Google’s search engine behind it, it is unsurprising to see Google Home come out on top in this category.
• Amazon Echo offers the greatest compatibility with other smart home devices. Of the three big smart speakers on the market, Amazon Echo clearly has the biggest brains. Google Home matched Echo in the intelligence test, but it just isn’t compatible with as many devices to beat out Amazon’s Echo.

• Apple’s HomePod answered the fewest questions among the three, but does have some Smartness. Smartness was not the first goal for HomePod. Again, Apple is “new out of the gate” and is expected to improve quickly.

Compatibility

• Amazon Echo has plenty of skills not available on the Google Home or Apple HomePod. The Echo has the ability to integrate much more deeply with Amazon’s shopping services and track your packages. It can also read your books from your Kindle library.
• Echo is compatible with more than 4000 devices on the market.
• Google has done a good job in closing the gap with product integration since it was released.
• Apple is only compatible with the home kit, but remember this is where Google was last year when it was released.
• Whatever Smart Device you purchase, remember to check if it is compatible with your Assistant.

Music & Sound 

• Hands-down all reviewers agreed the Apple HomePad had the best sound by far. Music can be heard from any direction and has “spatial recognition”.
• Google has the most streaming options. Both Google and Amazon can stream from Spotify. The HomePad only streams from Apple Music and music you send from your phone.
• Amazon Echo came in third here with music quality compared to Apple & Google. However, Amazon has more streaming options that HomePad.

Price

• Amazon Echo has a variety of devices to choose from with a price range from $50-$140.
• Google Home also has a choice in devices. Google Home is $129 & the Google Max is priced at $350.
• Apple HomePad is 349. At $349, the HomePod is almost twice as expensive as the $180 Amazon Echo and more than $200 more expensive than the $129 Google Home.

Other Options

Privacy: Apple trumps the competition thanks to the firm’s commitment to user privacy. You need to manually erase your history or content on Google and Amazon. Apple encrypts messages to protect you.

Calendars: Alexa integrates all of your calendars, while the other two do not. Having multiple calendars is difficult to manage.

Call an Uber : Both Google Home and Amazon Echo can get you an Uber and to the bar with ease. Apple HomePad cannot call for an Uber right now.

Set an alarm: Have to get up for work in the morning, but already in your comfy bed? No worries, the HomePod, Echo and Home all let you set your alarm.
Weather Reports: All provide weather reports with varying details.
Voice Calls: All three speakers now also support voice calls, which can be a pretty helpful feature.

All the reviews I read were written in February 2018, after the Apple HomePad was released. I found it interesting that all of the articles drew pretty much the same conclusions when comparing the Smart Assistants.

So Which is Better?

Well, at the end of the day, you’re deciding between three ecosystems – not just three devices.

• If you’re an Android user, you’re definitely better off sticking with Google’s ecosystem.
• Those that are firmly in Apple’s camp with an iPhone, Apple TV, and HomeKit-enabled devices will get better use from the HomePod.
• Those with a foot in both camps, or who simply want the most compatible system and are Amazon Prime members, should go for Amazon’s Alexa.

Finally, there is no doubt smart assistants are just going to keep getting smarter and smarter. We will be the benefactors of all the amazing talent that goes into developing the next new exciting device.

Let me know if you own smart assistant and share your review.